Victim of Demon Dreams
by Red Stanz
Summary: Something is coming after the Ronin Warriors, one at a time. Can they survive it? Who are they, and what do they want? She comes and leaves...in dreams. It's a deathfic.
1. Seiji's Demons

Victim of Demon Dreams  
  
  
The dark, questioning eyes stared back at Seiji. He stared into them, trying to subdue the form that they belonged to. He found himself overcome by power of something that he couldn't quite place. It felt like fear, but he couldn't be sure. "Who are you?"   
"The question is not who, but why." A voice breathed in his ear. "Why are you here, Warrior of Light?"  
"Why did you bring me back here?" Seiji replied calmly.  
"I should be the one asking the questions. You entered without permission." He felt a warm, soft hand caress his cheek. "I could kill you."  
He swallowed, determined not to show his fear to whatever being was in front of him. "Then why don't you?"  
"I don't have a reason...yet." The voice chuckled lightly. "Would you like to give me a reason, Child of Light?"  
"No!" Seiji backed away, tripping over himself and falling. "Why have you brought me here?!"  
"I brought you nowhere! You showed up, ready for your fate!" The voice hissed at him. "Stand and fight!"  
"What are you?!"  
The sound of a match seemed a million times louder than before. A candlewick sparked, and a soft light filled the complete blackness. "Not what, who. Wasn't that your first question?"  
Seiji gasped as he found himself face to face with the voice of his nightmares. "You..."  
"Yes, me." The girl smirked. "Who were you expecting, Anubisu?"  
"No. But I was not expecting you!" He looked frantically for a way out. "Wench, where do you keep us?!"  
"I have hungered for company. You are the first in centuries." She avoided his question casually. "And I think you can answer that question yourself. This is, after all, your nightmare."  
"Nightmare?" He looked at her, confused. "Wait, how is this a nightmare? Wench! What game are you playing?"  
"I play no games." She turned her face from him sharply. The shadows flickered across her profile, covering her alabaster skin. "I have never played with you, Seiji. You came to me."  
Seiji dropped to his knees, moaning. "What are you?"  
"Whatever you make me." She sat on a stool and looked at him curiously. He looked at her, fear startlingly present in his violet eyes. She stood up and brushed his bangs away from his eyes, staring into them. He tried to look away, but something about them drew him back. Black as night, with a spark of ice flitting in and around her iris, her eyes both haunted and killed him. She kneeled to his level and lowered her head slightly. Her black hair fell around her face, over her shoulders. A soft breeze blew from nowhere, and the loose strands brushed his face. He broke from her, almost choking for air.  
"What are you doing to me?"  
"Letting you die." She stood and turned. "When this candle goes out, your heart stops beating. I will find a new victim."  
"Victim?"  
"Let us see...Touma. Yes, he will do nicely." She nodded, marking off something on parchment with a crimson quill.   
"NO!" Seiji fell to the floor, crying in angst. "Leave him alone!"  
"Oh, you don't want me to get Touma?" She laughed cruelly. "You want to save him?"  
"I'll do anything you tell me, Lady Death!"  
"But I am not Lady Death."  
"But you may as well be for all you have caused, Demon!"  
"Ding ding." She smirked. "You are correct. I am your demon. You let me grow this way, Seiji. You never paid attention to me when I was young! I could've been an angel! But no...your training was too important, I was merely a part of you that needed to be silenced." She hissed at him. "And now I am more powerful than you would like! Locked up in darkness...I feed on your fear, on the evil building inside you. I can go on to others, Seiji. Would you like to know how many?"  
"No...leave me..." Seiji moaned.  
"Your mother and father, there's two! Your sister!" The she-demon cackled. "Your brother who went to the Dynasty? Yes, that was I! I can escape you, Seiji! So go ahead, warn the others. It'll be more fun that way...they'll put up more of a fight."  
"There's no escape from you, is there?"  
"Sorry, Seiji, there isn't. I'll give you a few seconds..." She sat down and waited.  
  
***  
  
"TOUMA!" Seiji screamed, and sat bolt upright in his bed. His best friend ran in.  
"Seiji, what's wrong?!" Touma raced in.  
"Don't have much time! Demon, inside you, or will be! She'll kill you! Warn the others! And Touma, I-" Seiji was cut off, and he fell back on the bed, eyes glazed over.  
"-love you too..." Touma finished and flung himself over his best friend's body.  
***  
  
Seiji opened his eyes and looked at the young demon bleakly. "No...please..."  
"Nighty-night." She leaned over and blew out the candle. Seiji screamed and fell over. His body disappeared as the she-demon waved her hand. "Touma...here I come..."  



	2. Touma's Mistake

Touma wept as he shook Seiji's body. "Wake up!" He shook his head, over and over, not believing what was happening. "Seiji, oh Seiji..." He sobbed, his tears staining Seiji's pristine silk pajamas. "Who did this to you?! Who did it?!"  
"Um, Touma?" Ryo carefully ventured into the room. "Are you okay?"  
"Seiji...dead..." He squeezed his eyes shut.   
"What? Did you have a nightmare?" Ryo came over, immediately turning ghost-white as he saw Seiji. "What happened?! Touma, what'd you do?!" He shoved the Warrior of Life to the floor. "Did you kill him?!"  
"NO!" Touma wailed. He curled up in the fetal position, his frame shaking. "I didn't kill him! I loved him!"  
"Seiji..." Ryo stood silently over the blonde's body. "Who did this to you? You're just lying there...no signs of foul play, no nothing...what happened..."  
"He was too young for this to happen!" Touma stood up, trembling. "Anubisu did this! That rat finally got up the nerve to come after him!"  
"No, this is not the work of Anubisu. Don't you remember how he killed Yuli and Mie?"  
"Yes." He nodded to his comrade. "But if it was a battle..."  
"He would be blood-stained...and he called for me..." Touma remembered the last ten minutes. "He woke up and screamed..."  
"A nightmare killed him?"  
"No..." He fought to remember. "Something inside him, something alive! He warned me. Told me to let you guys know."  
"Um, Touma, I'm going to call the police. Please go to bed, and try to get some sleep, okay?"  
"You sounded like Mie right there."  
"So I did." Ryo gently punched the Life Warrior. "Get outta here."  
"I will." Touma leaned over the lifeless Light Warrior. "Sweet dreams, Date Seiji." He murmured as he smoother the boy's bangs.  
"Go on, Touma." Ryo led the boy out the door. "'Night."  
"'Night, Ryo." He shut the door to his room and cried himself to sleep.  
Again, the Warrior of Virtue stood above the Warrior of Light. "Only one person, if you can call her that, could've done this. Kayura." He muttered angrily. "That bitch warrior, the one who Shuten tried to save. She did go back to the Dynasty..." He called the police.  
***  
  
Touma looked around warily. A figure was silently flying around him. He shuddered, feeling it's evil presence. "Who's there?" He put out an arm, and felt something grab it and twist behind his back. He cried out in pain.  
"That ought to be my question." A sweet voice, subtly laced with evil, breathed gently behind him.   
"Satoriana!" Touma gasped. "Let go!"  
"Wrong, Life Child." She let go of him. "So, it is you. I was worried it was somebody else." She went around to a table cloaked in the utter blackness. Touma heard a match light a candle and the room was filled with an evil life-sucking glow. "I tried to save him. There is a fallen angel among you, Touma."   
A sweet-looking young woman looked at him. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, and deep azure eyes, which were filled with tears. Touma narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"  
"My name is Gwenith. I'm your angel, Touma, the one who's been inside you since birth. I tried to save Seiji, but he was done for. The demon killed him." A malicious smile played across her face, too quick for him to catch. "I feel so terrible, I can't believe I couldn't stop her..."  
Touma looked at her, puzzled. She emitted a loving vibe, in which he could sense no evil, but their surroundings told him otherwise. "I don't believe you."  
"The reason you and I are meeting here is because I don't want her to find you. I'm disguising my surroundings so they give an evil aura. Perhaps she'll think I'm a demon and trying to destroy you. And if she does think that, then you'll be safe." Gwenith held him close to her. Touma surprised himself by embracing her in return, and soon he felt slight shivers coming from her.  
"Are you okay?" He stepped away, hands on her shoulders. "Oh, you're crying...please don't cry." He wiped away her tears. "I'm sure Seiji's free now."  
"I hope so, Touma, I truly do." She whimpered.  
"I know he's in a better place, and he's waiting for me. He'll be waiting for me when I die. He'll lead me to his paradise."  
"Did you truly love him, Touma?" She asked a little too curiously, Touma thought.   
"Yes, I did. But not like I loved Atoris. He was just so..." he sighed.  
"I know, love, I know." She went around to his back and began giving him a shoulder rub. "It'll be okay..."  
Wait, something isn't right! Get her off, Touma! Touma's thoughts raced through his head too late. Gwenith's thumbs struck him at the top of him spinal cord and he toppled to the floor. "No!"  
Before his eyes, his angel changed. Her hair became long and black, her eyes a frightened night laced with icy blue around the iris. "You are a gullible fool, Touma!" She laughed.  
"Angel!"  
"Wrong. I'm not an angel." She pulled him to his feet roughly, and dragged him over to a chair. She held him to it with dark bonds. "I'm a demon. Seiji's demon to be exact."  
"You! You killed him!"  
"So glad you've come to that realization, Tenku."  
"How do you know?!"  
"I was a part of Seiji. Gwenith really is, or was, a part of you. But she really was an angel, too easily destroyed. She should've put up more of a fight." The demon-girl cackled. "And now she's gone! And soon, so will you. Would you like to warn your little pathetic friends of me?"  
"You're what Seiji warned me of...why'd you kill him?!"  
"Because he never paid attention to me! I wanted to be an angel, but since he never did anything to help me grow, or anything for me at all, I turned resentful! I grew evil, more evil than you can imagine!"  
"What have you done to yourself?" Touma started to weep for the innocence lost in this demon. She could've been a beautiful angel. "Why did you do it to Seiji?"  
"Because it's what he deserved." She hissed. "And now for you...who's next? Your choice."  
"No! No more!"   
She put her forehead against his. "I killed Yuli...gave Anubisu the ideas for Mie..."  
"What?!" Touma fought against his bonds. "Let me go! I'll kill you!" Suddenly, her lips were on his, silencing him with a kiss. His lips burned, his soul screamed, every fiber in his body trembled as her evilness coursed through him. When she broke from him, he was pale and sweating.  
"Who's next? Answer the question. Would you like to warn them?"  
"Let me warn them, please, Demon..." Touma couldn't bear his stupidity.  
"Very well."  
***  
  
Touma stumbled into Shin's room. "Shin!"  
"Yes, Touma?" Shin looked from where he was feeding his fish. "What ever is the matter?"  
"Demon! Killer she-demon out to get us! Tell-" He was cut off, like Seiji, and fell at Shin's feet.  
"Touma!" Shin shrieked and kneeled next to him. He started giving him CPR, but it was no use. His soul was gone from his body, forever.  
***  
  
"Okay, well, you warned one of them." She blew out the candle. "That candle didn't represent anything like it did for Seiji. But I know what you've wanted more than anything else in the world."  
"And what is that?!" Touma spat at her, ready to fight for his life.  
"Love." She leaned over, and wrenched his head back. "I love you, Touma. Don't forget that." She kissed him passionately.  
Touma's body convulsed, his soul fleeing his body. His lips were in hell itself, and his soul was trapped at a barrier the demon had set up. His muscles tensed and relaxed alternately. Then he was gone.  
"That's another one." The she-demon licked her lips. "Who's next?"  



	3. Shin's Endeavor

Shin sat in the living room, not speaking to anyone. It had been a day already, and no sound had escaped his mouth. Everything he remembered about Touma just kept playing through his head, over and over. He heard Weezer blasting from Shuu's room upstairs, and sighed. That was always the way Shuu dealt with things now. Before, he would've gone out somewhere and just been alone, breaking things. But now that Eri had come along, and introduced him to letting go of emotions through music, nobody had needed to worry about where he was.   
Shin heard the faint strains of autoharp music coming from down the hall, chords from American Pie. He recognized Eri's sweet voice singing as she stroked the strings with her Last Leg of Liberty pick, and pressed on the chord keys with her perfectly manicured midnight blue nails. He wiped his eyes and stared out the window at the rain. Two gone in two days! First Seiji, now Touma...who would be next? And what had Touma warned him of?  
A demon, that was it. A demon that was killing them all, that would destroy all of them. Poor Touma, struck down by a dark angel. He remembered the face of Touma's girlfriend, Midori, as he had told. She had just nodded and went into Eri's room. He had heard lots of things breaking, glass crashing, and a lot of screaming. But Shin knew better than to disturb anything, and he had gone in two hours later. Eri had opened the door, and smiled weakly, telling him that Midori was sleeping.  
A door closed and he stood up as Eri walked through the living room. He followed her silently down to the basement, wanting to speak to her. She took no notice that anybody was near her as she opened some sort of safe and took out a case. She took out a violin and walked to the band room, where they all rehearsed. It hadn't been used in a couple days, and Shin shivered as the notes from the violin echoed off the walls. He recognized the melody immediately. He walked over to where Ryo's acoustic guitar was on a stand, picked it up, sat on a stool and began playing along with her, picking the notes and chords carefully.   
As soon as Shin began playing with her, Eri turned to him and smiled bleakly. He nodded, the pain in his eyes apparent, but he didn't stop. Neither did she. Instead, the inner turmoil they put into the music became more apparent. Her notes were sweeter, more sorrowful than they had been during any concerts. He didn't normally play guitar, but his hands found the chords like they never had before and he was softer plucking the strings so the notes were less harsh.   
"Who do I have to fight now?" Eri sank into a chair, holding her violin to her chest. "Who is it now?"  
"A demon." Shin put the guitar back in the stand. "Lunch will be in about fifteen minutes. Think you can handle tray duty?"  
"I should be okay." She grinned, or really, tried to.   
"Stay sweet for just that much longer." He nodded and walked back up to the kitchen. Eri, sighing hauntingly, stood and walked over to where Touma's base was held on a night-blue stand. She picked it up, and putting the strap over her shoulder, began the bass line for a song. Ryo, upstairs, heard the bass line and ran downstairs, concerned.  
"You okay?" He asked as he saw her concentrating.  
"Life is a lesson, you learn it when you're through." She shrugged. Ryo picked up his guitar and grinned.   
"Last chance for redemption?"  
"Turn up your amp." She commanded. Ryo did as bid, and started matching her song. Shuu came down and took his place at the drums. Eri rolled her eyes. "Shin's not coming down. Making turkey sandwiches. Does this mean I don't have tray duty?"  
Ryo and Shuu looked at each other quickly. "No." They put the instruments down, or in Shuu's case, drumsticks, and raced upstairs.  
"Damn...should've known better." She sighed again. "They are so good at disguising their feelings..."  
"Eri! Trays!" Shin called down to the basement. "Hurry up!"  
"Coming!" She yelled back and trudged up the stairs.  
***  
  
"Eri?" Shin opened his eyes to find that he was in complete darkness. The light in his fish tank wasn't visible; he didn't even think it was even there. "Eri?"  
"Nope." A rather cheerful voice answered him. "I'm starting to get bored with you boys."  
Shin knew the voice immediately. "Demon!"  
"Much faster than Touma. Good job." A young woman hopped off a stool and skipped over to where he lay. "Do you want to die on the floor?"  
"No. I don't want to die." Shin groaned as she pulled him off the floor gently.  
"See, I like you, Shin. I don't want to hurt you at all, which is funny for me! I mean, I always like killing and hurting and being mean, you know, demon stuff. But you're so different. You hate hurting people, you hate hurting anything...I guess you were my role model. Until I became what I am."  
"That's a lie!" Shin put his guard up. She had killed both Touma and Seiji, the two smartest ones of the group. She had outsmarted Touma, gotten him exactly where she wanted him. "You aren't too smart for me. I know your ways." He wasn't feeling like himself at all. He wanted to fight! Every fiber of his body burned to destroy the demon that had ruined his life!   
"Oh, you want to fight, do you? That's not like you at all! You want to die in battle?"  
"I'll die killing you!" Shin leaped at her, sizing her up at he jumped. She wasn't very big, and rather thin. She shouldn't be that hard to get. Crack! Shin fell to the floor, spasms of pain shooting through his spine. "What?"  
The demon rolled her eyes. "You are an idiot. Surely you don't think it would be that easy? I'm not stupid! I can see what moves you're going to make!"  
Shin growled. "No, you can't." Instantly, he pulled up his natural shield that Eri had taught him to use. He could hear the demon yell as the blockade shut her out.  
"Alright, fine, you wanna play rough?! We'll play rough!" The demon pulled a blade that looked like it was made of ebony. "Take this for size!" She whirled at him, but he dodged, flipping back over her.   
"You won't defeat me! I will destroy you for what you have taken! Armour of Torrent, tao Shin!" Shin powered up, then thought the better of it. But it was too late, she couldn't control him! "Super Wave Smasher!"  
She deflected the shot, and it hit him. He all of a sudden knew just how powerful he was. He fell, and she flicked her wrist. His armour disappeared, and she straddled his stomach. "Any last words, Shin?" She asked sweetly.  
"Not to you!" Shin struggled to get away, but she held him fast.  
"Sorry, Shin...but I'm not going to let you warn the others." She raised the dagger and smiled maliciously. She plunged it into his chest, feeling the exquisite pleasure of his pain-filled scream rush through her. He started coughing.  
"You...bitch..." He vomited. She hit him in the head and he passed out.  
"Well, I'll just let you bleed to death." She moved his body and made a spell so it would disappear.  
***  
"Shin?" Eri quietly entered his room. "Are you okay?" She frowned as she walked over, and turned on the light. What was the red stuff staining the sheets? Was it blood? She screamed as she saw the wound in his chest.  
"Ai!" Shuu raced in. "Querida?" He looked at the bloodied body of his best friend, and immediately turned away. "...tell me this is a joke!"  
"Sorry, love..." Eri choked back her sobs. "Come on, let's take care of him..."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Wash the blood from him, clean him up a little."  
"How can you be so fucking calm?!" Shuu looked like he was going to hit her.  
"Because I have to." She sniffed. That was it. All the anger that had been boiling in Shuu since Seiji died was released. Before he knew what was happening, his hand had struck the girl. She fell to the side, his hand visible on her cheek. Standing determinedly, she shook her head to clear the fuzziness, and punched him in the nose. "Enough! You had better keep your emotions in check, Faun Shuu-Rei! And if you don't, well, a bloody nose is more than you'll have!" She snapped as she picked up Shin's body and walked into the bathroom. "And you can go tell Ryo about this, RIGHT NOW!"  



	4. Ryo's Demise

She lazily looked at the floating images in front of her. "Ugh, this is too boring! It's been another day...I can't kill them all until night! And even then I have to get them all dreaming the same dream, which is impossible, because that stupid brat Ryo set up some sort of shield!" She growled and paced up and down the floor, then sighed and sat back down. "I might as well choose another victim." She looked at the armour orbs that lay in a row on the floor, glowing. Halo green, Strata blue, and Torrent blue. Three...she needed two more! She concentrated on the moving images. "Which one next...Shuu or Ryo?"  
***  
"So, what's supposed to be killing them?!" Ryo's face was red with anger. "We have no clue as to what killed any of them!"  
Shuu was pacing angrily; he had worn a groove in the rug. "I don't know!" He yelled. "Eri, you're the smart one, what the hell is going on?!"  
"Don't yell at me." She replied placidly. "Yelling at me is not going to do you any good." She looked over the two angry Ronins and tried to calculate how fast she would have to run to get away from both of them if they snapped.   
"Well, then what will? You're supposed to know these things!" Ryo looked at her almost pleadingly. "Eri, isn't there something in your mind, some knowledge of the unknown? Isn't there anything at all that can help us?"  
The youngest crossed her arms. "I told you, I'm thinking. You can't keep interrupting me while I'm thinking!"  
"Books! You have loads of books upstairs in the attic! Go look at those!" Shuu started laughing maniacally. "The answers are in the books!"  
Eri stood up and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Shuu, I think maybe you need to lie down for a little while."  
"I don't! I need to fight! Talpa! The warlords are back, that's it! They killed them!" He crowed and started dancing around the room. "I've solved the mystery! All by myself! I am the smartest Ronin Warrior who ever lived! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughed even harder. Eri nodded and walked over to him.  
"Okay, Shuu, just come with me..." She took his hand and led him upstairs. Ryo cringed as he heard a thump, and Eri came downstairs.  
"What'd you do to him?" Ryo asked, half-scared.  
"Gave him a couple tranquilizers. He was very sleep-deprived. He fell over immediately, that was the thump."  
"You didn't hit him with anything?"  
"No! Why would I do something like that?!"  
"I dunno..." Ryo trailed off, mumbling something under his breath. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Do we have any chili left?"  
"Wait..." Eri followed him, "you suspect me of doing that, don't you?"  
"Um, possibly?"  
"Ryo!" Her entire face crumpled. "How can you think something like that?! Why would I ever kill any of them?! Seiji was my life-giver! Touma was like an older brother! And Shin..." She started crying hard.   
Ryo cringed. Now he had done it. Made her cry..."I'm sorry. But you know me, I was paranoid."  
"Paranoid or not, Ryo, you hurt me." She wouldn't even look at him. "Why would you think something like that?"  
"I'm not sure. I guess because I needed somebody to blame...and you were the only one around." He admitted bleakly. She sighed and hugged him to her. "Why'd they have to go away? Why?!"  
"They didn't go away. Somebody killed them!" Eri stroked his hair. "I promise, I won't let anything get to the rest of us. I'll always be here."  
"But what if they get you next?" Ryo started to cry. "Then where will we be?"  
"Ryo! I'm shocked to hear you say such a thing! You boys have done just fine without me. Don't you remember when I wasn't here?"  
In truth, he couldn't. He could remember few days when the starry-eyed dreamer hadn't been floating around and taking care of them. He remembered the day that she came, and how Shuu and Seiji had gotten into a fight over who was going to give her the tour of the house. He smiled as he remembered that Touma had taken her on the tour while they were arguing. He also remembered how Seiji had realized that Eri was meant for Shuu, but he had decided that it wasn't going to stop him from flirting with her.  
"Ryo, you're going to be okay." He heard a sweet voice whispered faintly. "Come on, let's go upstairs." Eri gently lifted the Ronin of Virtue to his feet and led him upstairs.  
"Please, angels, keep us all safe..." He prayed quietly as Eri sat him on his bed. He could barely move, let alone get himself ready for bed. Eri sighed.  
"Ryo, you have to promise me that you won't flip out." She told him sternly as she removed his shirt. "Okay?"  
He nodded as his eyes started threatening to close. "Can't sleep yet..."  
"Right. No sleeping until you're under the covers." She smiled at him as she undid his belt and slipped off his pants.  
"Eri," Ryo mumbled, half-conscious, "will you sleep with me?"  
"No, I won't." She rolled her eyes as she laid him on the bed and covered him with the covers.   
"But I like you." He whimpered.  
"Go to sleep, virtuous one. I will awaken you in the morning and you will regret asking me to sleep with you." She kissed his temple and walked silently out of the room. Opening the door to Shuu's room, she slipped inside. "Shuu?"  
"Querida?" He sat up slightly. "What'd you give me? What did I do?" His voice was anxious as he asked the question. "Are you okay? Am I okay?"  
"Just a tranquilizer. You were acting really crazy, and I didn't want you to hurt yourself." Eri smiled and kissed him gently. "I'm fine. You're going to be fine."  
"Really?"  
"Really." She stroked his cheek. "I have to get some sleep too."  
"No!" He clutched at her. "Stay with me!"  
"Shuu..." She extricated herself from his embrace. "Love, you know I have to sleep too."  
"Don't leave me! I'm scared!" His eyes filled with tears. "Something evil killed Shin and I don't want it to get you!"  
"I won't let it get me. I can protect myself, remember? I have your Chinese demon mirror."  
"But it might not be enough..."  
"It will be."  
"I won't let you go!" Shuu said forcefully and held her to him. Eri nodded as she felt the fear and sorrow pour through him.  
"I'll stay tonight. But only tonight." She settled down into his arms.  
"Stay forever, pretty lady." He kept his arms around her waist as he kissed her forehead, still trembling. "Don't ever leave."  
"I will never leave you." She whispered to him, her voice lulling him into a peaceful sleep.  
***  
"What's going on?" Ryo clenched and unclenched his fists several times. "Who's there?"  
"It's only me." A young woman appeared in front of him. "What's wrong, Ryo?"  
"Eri?" He blinked, then shook his head. "What are you doing here?"  
"It's your dream." Eri grinned at him. But something didn't seem right...he ignored it.  
"It is? Well then, I wanted to tell you something!"  
"Yeah?" She looked at him curiously.   
He swallowed nervously. "I love you! And I want you to be with me, not with Shuu! I know you love him, but can't you give me a chance, please?"  
"Well..." she considered it for a moment. "Okay! Shuu's such a dope anyway..."  
"Thank you so much." Ryo gushed. He seized her and kissed her passionately. It felt so good to have her kissing him, responding to every move he made. Suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach. "What the-" he fell to his knees, and looked up at the girl.  
"Tricked you!" A different young woman declared happily. "You thought I was Eri! And you know what, Ryo? You're not in love with Eri. And this isn't your dream."  
"Yes it is!" Ryo cried. His dream was ruined!   
"No, it isn't!" The young woman grinned. "Would you like to know who I am?"  
"No!" Ryo stood up and threw a punch. It hit her jaw hard, and she almost lost her balance from the impact.  
"I'm going to tell you anyway." She shook her head. "I'm a Demon. And I killed Seiji, Touma, and Shin! Your turn now!"  
"Eri, how could you?!" Ryo's eyes filled with tears.  
"I'm not Eri, I just told you that!" The demon held up a mirror to show him. "See?"  
Ryo shuddered. There was the image of Shuu and Eri in bed, his arms around her waist. "Well, at least they have each other! They aren't afraid of you! And neither am I!"  
"You aren't?"  
"No! Bring it on!" Ryo got into fighting stance, but the demon clucked.   
"I don't fight." She hit him in the temple with the hilt of a dagger. Ryo cried out and crumpled to the floor. She brought his reality body to her, and stabbed it repeatedly with the dagger. On the floor, Ryo cried out.  
***  
"Ryo?" Eri sat up abruptly. She quickly slipped from Shuu's embrace and ran to Ryo's room. He wasn't in his bed! "Ryo!"  
Ryo's body reappeared. It was covered in blood, and had dagger-wounds all over it. He coughed, and opened his eyes weakly. "She was right, I don't love you the way...that I thought...the demon, Eri, the demon. She killed-" A violent shudder went through his body, and his eyes closed.  
"RYO!" Eri screamed. She pounded the bed, and screamed over and over. He was gone! She had promised to protect him, and she had failed! If only she hadn't stayed with Shuu! She started sobbing hysterically, waking up Shuu.  
"Something happened to Ryo?" He mumbled as he sat up. "Eri?" He heard screams and sobs coming from down the hall. Something was attacking her! He jumped out of bed and raced down the hall, into Ryo's room, only to find a hysterical Eri kneeling by a bloodied Ryo's bed. "NO!" He stood in the doorway, and felt as if time stopped. Everything was whirling, spinning around him. It wasn't the same...patterns and colors swirled above him. He made his way over to Eri, who was emitting a brightness he could barely stand. "Querida?"  
Eri fell into him, sobbing harder. Shuu pressed her to him, muffling her sobs slightly. "Oh, Querida..."  
"He's dead!" She pulled away from him. "Ryo's dead!"  
"I know, I see that." He stroked her hair, trying not to show his devastation. "Just...oh, Eri..."  
"He's dead." She said bleakly. "Just dead. Not a breath left in him. Dead. Gone. Deceased. By a demon's hand."  
"It's okay, Querida, I'll take care of you."  
"No. You won't." She stood up. "Nobody can take care of me! I promised to protect Ryo, and I failed! I swore I wouldn't let anything happen and now he's dead! This is all my fault!" She screamed and started banging her head against the wall. "My fault! My fault!"  
"No! Stop!" Shuu grabbed her wrists. "It's not your fault!"  
She tore away from him and ran out to the balcony. "My fault! All my fault!" She screamed into the night. She hoisted herself up and threw herself over the balcony. Shuu yelled and raced for the balcony. He caught her hand, and dragged her back up. She fought against him, hitting his chest with her fists. He brought her into the bathroom and found the bottle of tranquilizers she had given him earlier. He looked over at her.  
"Stop!" He cried as he saw she was banging her wrists on the bathtub rim. He rushed over and stuffed the pills in her mouth, but not before she bit him. He cursed as held her mouth shut and squeezed her nostrils. Her throat reacted and she swallowed. "Shhh...it's okay now..." He held her close. A few minutes later, he felt her slump against him. He lifted her up and carried her into her room. He sighed as he laid her down, and went back to clean up the poor boy who lay in the world of the dead.  



	5. Shuu's Sacrifice

  
Shuu sighed as he walked out to the balcony. He looked back sadly, watching to see if Eri followed him. To his surprise, she was, however, she still didn't look quite right. He yearned to walk over to her, to hold her again. He couldn't tell if tears of hers or of his would spark the life back into her eyes. The dull, lifeless eyes that stared at him hollowly from her blank, expressionless face. She hadn't even blinked.  
"Eri, come over here." He said quietly. She wandered over, not even questioning his every command. He thought of moments when that could've come in handy, but now was not one of those times. She was lost to him in the death of her companions. Their companions. He stroked her cheek, and watched, hope sparking in his eyes as she raised her hand to hold his to her cheek. He almost cried as he felt her warm, soft hand brush his. He looked into her eyes, the light coming back into his for just a moment, hoping, pleading with God for her eyes to be lively, and full of the love he had cherished. But, her hazel pools were vacant of all emotion.  
"Please, love, speak to me..." He begged. "Please, I need to hear you..."  
"Why? Why are you so afraid?" She murmured. "I'm only a girl, and you are a great warrior."  
"No!" Shuu cried and dropped her hands. Painfully, he recognized the scene she was speaking from. "Eri, don't you know who I am?!"  
"Stop! Don't hurt me!" She backed away, and dashed through the center of the room.  
"ERI!" Shuu threw his hands up, and started to go after her. He stopped suddenly, and dropped his hands. He turned to the stars, and screamed. "Why'd you take her from me?! Give me back my girlfriend!"  
His only answer was the whisper of the breeze caressing his face. "But why...why did you take her? I need her! But she's dead now. She's as dead as the others...there is no reason for me to live." He wiped a tear from his cheek and walked back inside, closing the balcony doors behind him.  
***  
"Shuu Rei Faun!" The demon looked happily at the Ronin. "It's nice to meet you after such a long time of hearing about you from Ryo...he just went on and on..."  
"Ryo?" Shuu looked around warily. "Where is he?"  
"Oh, do you want to see him?" She inquired, glancing at him curiously.  
"Yeah." Shuu got ready to power up just in case.   
A light came on. There was the warrior of virtue, sitting in a chair, looking tired and weak. "Shuu?" He barely whispered.  
"Ryo, buddy! What the hell happened?!" Shuu rushed over. "Oh my God!"  
"Listen, don't trust her!" Ryo muttered hurriedly, "She's a demon! She killed everybody! I swear-" He was cut off, and disappeared.  
"W-w-where'd he go?!" Shuu looked around, suddenly scared. "Hey, what'd you do with him?!"  
"Nothing. He just had to disappear. Listen, Shuu, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to make a deal with you."  
***  
A dark, shadowed figure sat on a chair next to the black-haired teenaged boy. They reached out and stroked his hair. "I'd like to be close to you forever, and I would treasure every minute. I swear to you, I will be there." They stood and walked out.  
  
***  
"Shuu, how would you like to make your deepest desire come true?" The young woman offered him. "It comes with a price, but I can make you the happiest man ever."  
"Can you?" He replied sourly.   
"Let me find out what you want, Shuu! I can give you it!"  
The thought of Eri with life in her eyes again made Shuu's heart wring. "Do it."  
The demon closed her eyes and slowly crept into his mind. Memories floated by her, but she paid them no attention, as she searched for the one thing that would give him true happiness. Was it money? Was it marrying a supermodel? She gasped as she saw exactly what it was he wanted. A girl with an emotionless face, then the same girl with life in her eyes, happy and alive again. She opened her eyes and looked at him, almost sadly.  
"I'll do it."  
"What's the price?"  
"I'm going to kill you. No protests, no nothing. I'll make it as painless as possible."  
"Will you save her?"  
"I promise." She placed a solemn hand on her heart. "Okay?"  
Shuu could've cried. Eri would be alive! She could live again, take care of everything! And he'd see her in the after life...if there was one. Wait, what was it that Ryo had said? "I'm ready." He spread his arms out and lifted his head. "Proceed."  
"Don't do it!" Ryo's voice cried out. But it was too late.   
Pain ripped through every fiber of Shuu's body as a fire spread through his veins. He screamed as his body trembled, his eyes rolling back in his head. Everything whirled around him, it almost seemed like he was the only thing standing still! Then it all stopped. He fell on his back, spread-eagled. Everything was red and blue stars, until it all faded into black. His last thought was of a smiling, laughing teenaged girl. His lover, his girlfriend. The young woman who would've been his wife, had he not agreed to the demon's deal. And now, he was gone, with no hope of ever seeing his sweetheart again.  



	6. The Last To Fall

Everything rushed around Eri, it was all wrong! She screamed as she felt the life being taken away from her lover, whom she hadn't connected with in a full day. He was dying! She ran into his room, but she was too late. He was dead.  
"Shuu…" She murmured, and gasped. Her body was listening! She was in control! "No! Shuu! I love you!"  
"Seiji's Demon, Eri, his Demon…defend yourself." Shuu's voice came into her head out of nowhere. But he was gone! She could hear him plainly. A demon to destroy? Ah, Shuu. She thought sadly. So, he was dead and gone. She fingered the necklace she wore, the small marble attached to the black cord.   
"I won't let her get away with what she's done, Shuu Faun, I swear it." Eri opened the door to the house and sat at a counter. "Matsuri, whatever shall I do? I'm empty inside…"  
Matsuri crooned softly and landed in front of her. She offered him a piece of cracker, which he snapped up. He cocked his head as if to say 'why sad as Matsuri here?'  
Eri almost laughed. Matsuri could be very amusing. She picked at her nail polish, sighing unhappily.  
The ghost form of Seiji watched the young woman with increasing sadness. "Please, Eri, you can't take this so hard…"  
Touma put a hand on Seiji's shoulder, "She's afraid. The demon will be after her."  
"It's all my fault." He looked at his best friend. "She's my demon." They didn't notice her leave, but they did notice the haunting violin music coming from another room. They followed the sound.  
"Return…" Touma sighed. "It's her favorite. The only thing she can play." Abruptly, Eri stopped playing.  
"Who's there?!" She put the violin down and got into fighting stance. "Who is it?" An angry look had entered her eyes, she was ready to fight. "Demon, come out and show yourself!"  
"Stop, Eri!" Touma tried to shake her, but it was no use. He passed through her. "Eri!"  
"Leave it be. Perhaps she can take care of herself." Seiji disappeared. Touma followed after glancing sadly at his beautiful friend.  
***  
  
"Hmmm…okay." The demon smiled. "Ronins are dead, no problem. Now I can take over the world, and make everybody sad!"  
"You won't get away with this!" A solid Ryo sat tied to a chair.   
"Oh, but I will. The only person who can possibly attempt to stop me is your little friend the housemaid." She cackled and came closer to Ryo. "I kept you alive, and for that you should be grateful."  
"Perhaps my soul is alive in your dream world, but my body and real soul have fled! Eri will stop you!"  
"Is that her name?"  
"Oh, fuck!" Ryo cursed himself. He had done the one thing he was sworn not to! Tell her name to the demon!  
"I take it that Eri is her name? Good to know." She considered him. "I kind of like you. I think maybe I'll keep you around to see her die!"  
"You'll never kill her! She's invincible!"  
"Nobody's invincible, Ryo. Not even me." The demon said soberly as she put down the parchment and walked away from him.  
  
***  
  
Eri tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She stood up and went into Shuu's old room, where she picked up his 'security blanket', an old teddy bear named Wrath. How it had gotten a name like that she had no clue. She held Wrath to her tightly, breathing in the absorbed scent of Shuu. A sweet smell, mixed in with a little CK 1. She looked around the room, sighing, and noticed a bound leather book. It looked like a journal. She picked it up, opening it carefully. It was dated. So it was his journal! She wondered if she should read it. Shaking her head, she began to read.  
  
June 21-  
Something fishy is going on. Seiji, Touma, and Shin are all dead, in that exact order. Shin came in and warned me that there was some sort of demon out to get us, and then he died. Right there in my arms…that's one experience I hope I'll never repeat. I loved him like a brother, but it was almost like he was more than that. He was my best friend, after all. He never cared that I was always hungry, or that I was the only one in the group with a real girlfriend. [Here, Eri noticed that there were teardrops staining the page] I don't know what to do without him.  
Eri made me tell Ryo what happened, while she cleaned him up. And I remember Eri's face before she saw me. Eri's face…that's something I don't want to remember. I could hear her screaming in her head, screaming for the angels of mercy to kill her…her face, oh God, her face. The exquisite torture of seeing her face. It was a mask of pain, horror, and a desperate sadness that made me start crying all over again. When I told him, Ryo was just standing there, his features twisted in shock and sorrow. It was all I could do not to scream and break something. Instead, I hugged my friends and we cried.  
Eri had been the first one to stop crying. She was maybe more upset than both of us, as she had lost her closest friend besides Touma. Her two best friends within 24 hours of each other. I wish I could cry for her, but my tears have run out. My poor angel…I heard her screaming in her dreams last night. For revenge, of course, what else? Nothing better happen to me. I have to stay here and protect her.  
  
The entry ended. Eri felt tears well up as she hugged Wrath closer. "Damn…I didn't know he could write like that. I didn't even know he had a journal. I guess that goes to show how little I knew him." She looked at the date. June 21, three days ago. The night Shin had died, the night before Ryo, two nights before Shuu. Her tears stopped, and anger began to bubble. She wanted revenge, powerful revenge. Something that would make that demon realize that it could not mess with her life and get away with it.  
  
***  
  
The demon paced restlessly, back and forth. "Her name is Eri! Where have I heard that name before? Ryo, what's her last name!"  
Ryo snickered. "Not telling." He smiled. The demon would not get any more information out of him.  
She walked over and wrenched his head back. "I can kill you."  
"I don't care. The thought of my death is more relief than fear anymore."  
"Then I can keep you alive for as long as necessary."  
"That's fine with me."   
The demon almost screamed with frustration. "I will haunt your every nightmare! You will not sleep for fear of me!"  
"I'm not afraid of you or anybody else! No, Demon, you frighten me not!" Ryo cried. "I'm not scared!"  
"Sure you aren't…" She traced his profile with an icy cold finger. "But you will learn to be."  
***  
  
Eri fell asleep more peacefully holding onto Wrath. She hadn't gone through any more of Shuu's diary entries. But something troubled her, something troubled her dreams…  
  
"So, you're Eri." The demon held up a short dagger. "You're the brat who can defeat me?"  
"Demon." Eri's eyes widened. "This is nothing but your nightmare."  
"Wrong. Your nightmare!"  
"I will kill you in any way," Eri hissed "for what you have done to me."  
"You can't. I'm invincible."  
"So am I." Eri sweep-kicked the demon, who agilely jumped and swiped her head with her foot. Eri shook her head to clear the fuzziness and stood up. "Armour of Stars! Tao Fuki!"  
"No!" The demon hissed. "You aren't one of them!"  
"Am so." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm a Ronin Warrior, but you never bothered to figure it out!"  
"Brat!" The demon screeched and lunged at her again. Eri dodged but was slightly cut by the blade, which was covered in a painful poison. "Meet your demise!"  
The female warrior stumbled. "No…you can't defeat me, I'm a Ronin Warrior…"  
"I just did." She smirked as she raised the dagger to plunge it through the younger girl. Eri rolled out of the way just in time. "Wench!"  
"I am the Warrior of Liberty!" She jumped to her feet. "You will never take me alive!"  
The demon scowled. "I am Satrina, behold your death, child!"  
"You won't take me!" Eri twirled her staff and held it in front of her. "Shimmer Starlight!"  
"No!" Satrina fell. The Ronin ran over to deliver the killing blow, an ecstatic grin taking up her face as she began her staff's quick descent. "Dark Spirits Defend!" The demon let off one last attack, and Eri wasn't prepared. She fell on her back, convulsing and twitching. Her armour disappeared, rendering her helpless, at the demon's mercy. The evil one made her way over and smiled maliciously. "Well well…"  
"No…" Eri whispered, "You cannot defeat me…"  
"NO!" Ryo screamed and struggled harder against his bonds. The demon struck the girl on the floor, leaving red scratches across her cheek. Blood welled up and began to trickle down.  
"Ryo, don't bother. She's dead." Satrina laughed cruelly. "Poor baby Eri, last Ronin to fall."  
"Eri, oh Eri, I'm sorry!" Ryo started to weep.  
"Ryo?" His voice gave the last hope strength. "I thought you were dead."  
"Only my body. Come on, get up! You have to defeat her!"  
"I can't, forgive me…Ryo…" Eri fell silent. Satrina made a mark on her forehead, drawing more blood. Eri shuddered again, and lay deathly still.  
The world spun away from Ryo. "ERI!" He burst from his bonds and destroyed the demon in a lash of fire that shot from his fingertips.  
"NO!" She cried, disappearing. "So close! So close!"  
The warrior of virtue ignored her as he cradled the head of the non-living warrior of liberty. "You were my last hope." He lifted her into his lap, and held her close to him. He noticed the film of poison was still around her arm where the dagger had struck. He took a breath to steady himself, then trailed his finger over it, making sure all of the poison was on it. Then, he licked it. He felt the powerful poison coursing through his veins, and he almost tasted the bile rising in his throat. He forced it back down, and took another breath. Letting out a violent shudder, he kissed Eri's cold lips and died, slumped over her.  
***  
  
So ends Victim of Demon Dreams. I hope you enjoyed it, and didn't find my writing too morbid and depressing. Don't even think about holding me responsible for therapy needed later on in life. It's a fiction story, and I've personally read sadder. Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me. Those of you that reviewed, you are my best friends. Thank you.  



End file.
